More Opportunities Every Day!

Hello Boiler Fans!

These past couple of weeks have bee getting into the crazy fall time. There is lots to do including conferences, contests, exams, jobs, football games, and many other activities to keep you busy! The biggest thing though as I am going through my senior year is I have noticed that you never really get into a pattern with extracurricular activities, because there is always more opportunities around the corner.

Even if I did settle to stay in the same organizations every year, there is so many new things to try. In agronomy club we get to travel to a different state every semester to learn more about agronomy and share our knowledge we have about the industry and our own club! Each semester is different and you can compete in different contests each year which gives you more experience to share with future employers and even agronomy club members. We also try to semester a little different in agronomy club with various speakers, panels, and tours that members can attend to learn not only about agronomy but about the world around them outside of agriculture.

Outside of travelling around the U.S. for organizations you would not believe the opportunities classes actually bring to you. If you take classes outside of agronomy you may have the chance to get involved with business clubs, innovation competition for grant money, various scholarships, or field trips that lead to future employment. Taking classes outside of your major I believe is an enlightening experience to just learn more about what is going on around campus, and learn more about the subjects you may encounter outside of your line of work.

If you have a desire to learn about more than just outside your major and want to learn about the world and world travel there are almost limitless study abroad choices. One can go over Christmas break, spring breaks, for 6 or 8 weeks in the summer, for a full semester, and the list goes on. Then there are the choices of where you want to go, and that's the hard part! You can go to developing countries for service learning projects, to developed countries to learn the differences in agriculture, or maybe even somewhere in between. Sky is the limit at Purdue if you just look hard enough for what you are wanting.

Essentially change is going to happen and not everyone likes change, but it always brings more opportunities with it. Opportunities to grow, to learn, to travel, and to make contacts with people from around the globe. When at Purdue, even in your senior year, don't settle and go ahead and take advantages of opportunities thrown your way because you never know that could lead to your first career opportunity.

Boiler Up!

Dakota Westphal

dwestpha@purdue.edu